A Wonderful Experience in Tioman Island

Welcome to Kg. Genting, Tioman Island; Photo by: hanifridzuan

View at the jetty of Kg. Genting, Tioman Island; Photo by: hanifridzuan

I’d like to share my last month (April 2011) field trip to Tioman Island which is located 32km off the east cost of Peninsular Malaysia, in the state of Pahang. Tioman Island is a very great place to visit cos the scenery was nothing short of spectacular.

The crystal clear blue waters around the island are filled with corals and perfect sites for scuba diving lovers. This island is full of awesomeness cos there are heaps of things to see and do. Jungle tracking, rock climbing, snorkelling and golfing are some of the attractions this place has to offer. And ohh ya, good news for shopaholics out there, you can also duty-free-shopping here. For those planning to stay here a bit longer, no need to worry cos there are a lot of resort at Tioman Island where you can stay in. Always make sure to check out the latest promotion and special offer by the resort.

Okay, back to the main topic. The purpose of the trip to this wonderful island was to collect sample for my research project as well as for the Zoological Museum of my university. This field trip is organised by the Department of Wildlife and National Park (DWNP), and joined by various local universities including Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Universiti Malaysa (UM)) and other research departments (MARDI).

The ferry from Mersing to Kg. Genting; Photo by: hanifridzuan

We departed from Mersing at 10am by ferry (150 passengers) in the morning and arrived at Genting’s jetty (Tioman Island) at approximately 12pm. The ticket cost at only RM35 for one way. The journey to Tioman Island didn’t stop there. From Genting jetty, it took us another 20 minutes ride on speed boat to the research area which is at Kem Saga, Sungai Tedau. The area is covered with mixed dipterocarp forest and a little bit of rocky areas.

View of the mountain at our camp site; Photo by: hanifridzuan

View of the beach at our camp site; Photo by: hanifridzuan

View of the rocky area at our camp site; Photo by: hanifridzuan

The Saga camp site was occupied by 30 researchers and 30 staffs from the DWNP. This trip is very important as various expertises are gathered collecting their specimens and sharing their knowledge with the others.

Interesting finding in Tioman Island: Rhinolophus chiewkweeae (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) Chiewkwee's Horseshoe bat. This species is endemic to Malaysia and discovered in 2005.

Species: Rhinolophus chiewkweeae; Locality: Tioman Island; Photo by: Isham Azhar 

Further reading:
1) Yoshiyuki M. & Lim B.L. 2005. A new horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus chiewkweeae (Chiroptera, Rhinolophidae), from Malaysia. Bulletin of the National Science Museum (A)31(1):29-36.
2) Wilson, D.E. & Reeder, D.M. (Eds.)(2005) Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Third Edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.


p/s: Let the pictures do the talking :)